#1589
2017-09-27
With Clyde Billington
More on the latest in biblical archaeology from the news digests of the autumn issue of ARTIFAX magazine: The IAA is going to investing more money to excavate and reconstruct the city of Caesarea Maritima, the seaport that Herod built on the Mediterranean shore, where visitors can already see impressive remains, including a Roman aquedect, a Roman theater, the remains of Herod’s palace, Crusader walls, etc. We also discuss an archaeologists theories about an ancient tsunami that may have struck the Levantine coast, with ties to a biblically recorded earthquake, plus an explanation of why the story of the biblical judge Othniel contains evidence that supports the early date of the Exodus. All of this discussed with professor Clyde Billington, my co-editor at ARTIFAX magazine.
tags: Temple Menorah Exodus Caesarea tsunami earthquake Augustus Othniel Mitanni
#1564
2017-03-28
Walls of Jerusalem - Jebusite and Roman
With Clyde Billington
News stories about the walls of Jerusalem, reported in the latest issue of ARTIFAX magazine, include stories about the discovery of two triclinia (banquet rooms), along the western wall of the Temple Mount; the discovery of the location where the Romans breached the “Third Wall” during the first Jewish revolt; and new information about the Middle Bronze Age fortifications built by the Jebusites around the Gihon Spring.
tags: Jerusalem Temple Mount Western Wall Jebusites Romans Triclinium Walls
#1563
2017-03-22
Hyrcanus Inscription and The Thinker
With Clyde Billington
More stories from the news digests of the latest issue of ARTIFAX magazine, including inscriptions that name a newly discovered Roman governor of ancient Judea, and that connect to the ruling family of the Hasmonean period. An inscription naming Gargilius Antiquus was found in the harbor of Dor, indicating that he was probably the governor of the Roman province of Judea when the second Jewish revolt broke out. An inscription, "Hyrcanus," was found in the massive Givati Parking Lot excavation just outside the walls of Jerusalem. It is probably one or the other John Hyrcanus, from the Hasmonean lineage of the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. "The Thinker" is the name given to the figure of a man found sitting atop a pot dating to around 1800 BC, the patriarchal period. The man is shown deep in thought. And finally mention of some of the finds from last summer's Gezer excavation
tags: Gezer Gargilius Dor Roman governor Hyrcanus Hasmonean Givati parking lot thinker pendant Bronze Age gate
#1513
2016-02-17
With Yoram Tsafrir
During a visit to Israel in 2001 I had a chance to talk with archaeologist Yoram Tsafrir at Hebrew University about his excavations at Tel Betshean. Tel Betshean is one of the most interesting stops on our tours: a Roman city — one of the cities of the decapolis in Jesus’ time, when it was known as Scythopolis. It sits in the shadow of a large tel upon which sat the Old Testament city of Betshean, the walls upon which the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were hung upon after their defeat by the Philistines. Yoram Tsafrir died last November, he was 77. We present this interview from our archives in his memory.
tags: Philistines Decapolis Betshean Scythopolis
#1501
2015-11-11
Tut's Tomb and the Acra Fortress
With Clyde Billington
The two hottest stories in archaeology right now are: the search for additional rooms in the tomb of King Tutankhamun (possibly the tomb of Nefertiti or some other pharaoh), and the discovery of the Hellenistic fortress known as the Acra, right outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. On this program, professor Clyde Billington (my co-editor on ARTIFAX magazine) brings our listeners up-to-date on what's happening with these two stories and supplies some background information to help explain their significance and their connection to biblical archaeology.
tags: Acra Fortress Nefertiti Tutankhamun Antiochus Epiphanes